Apparatus for forming a system of weft threads for further processing in textile machines

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for forming a system of weft threads for further processing in textile machines as e.g. stitch knitting machines, warp knitting machines and Raschel machines to the operating mechanisms of which there are fed mutually parallel weft threads. The apparatus includes two continuously and uniformly moving weft thread conveyors which are vertically movable with respect to each other; a first one of such conveyors conveys the weft threads in a longitudinal direction to the operation point of the textile machine, and the second conveys the weft threads transversely from the thread supply onto the said first conveyor. The first longitudinal conveyor is provided with grippers with movable gripping jaws; the second transverse conveyor is provided with at least three transfer battens carrying transfer grippers which are provided with at least three stationary means which come into direct contact with the weft thread and at least one means mounted for movement with respect thereto.

United States Patent Skopalik et al.

[54] APPARATUS FOR FORMING A SYSTEM OF WEFT THREADS FOR FURTHERPROCESSING IN TEXTILE MACHINES- [72] Inventors: Josef Skopalik; VladimirSvoboda; Vaclav Opatril, all of Brno, Czechoslovakia' [73] Assignee:Elitex, Zavody Textilniho Strojirenstvi generalni reditelstvi, Liberec,Czechoslovakia [22 Filed: June4, 1971 [2]] Appl. No.: 150,076

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 2, I970 Czechoslovakia..4605/70 [52] U.S. Cl. ..66/84 R [51] Int. Cl. ..D04b 23/06 [58] Fieldof Search ..28/1; 66/85 A, 84, 86 [56] References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 3,364,701 H1968 Carmanf; ..66/84 3,446,038 2/1968 lnui ..66/85FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,91',98"ii/"16'9' Germany ....6 84

[451 Dec. 12,1972

1,182,580 2/1970 Great Britain ..66/84 A Primary Examiner-RonaldFeldbaum Attorney-Arthur O. Klein [5 7] ABSTRACT Apparatus for forming asystem of weft threads for further processing in textile machines ase.g. stitch knitting machines,' warp knitting machines and Raschelmachines to the operating mechanisms of which there are fed mutuallyparallel weft threads. The apparatus includes two continuously anduniformly moving weft thread conveyors which are vertically movable withrespect to each other; a first one of such conveyors conveys the weftthreads in a longitudinal direction to the operation point of thetextile machine, and the second conveys the weft threads transverselyfrom the thread supply onto the said first conveyor. The firstlongitudinal conveyor is provided with grippers with movable grippingjaws; the second transverse conveyor is provided with at least threetransfer battens carrying transfer grippers which are provided with atleast three stationary means which come into direct contact with theweft thread and at least one means mounted for movement with respectthereto.

10 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PATENTEB an: 1 2 I913 3.705.503

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ATTORNEY PATENTEI'] nu; 12 m2 sum 7 or 7 (aaaaaaaaa INVENTORS\ Jose?SKOP K \JLHBMMK SWOBODA Vac LAV OPATWL MGM AT 'ORNEY APPARATUS FORFORMING A SYSTEM OF WEFT THREADS FOR FURTHER PROCESSING IN TEXTILEMACHINES The present invention relates to an apparatus for forming asystem of weft threads for further processing in textile machines, asfor example in stitch knitting machines, warp knitting machines, Raschelknitting machines, to the operating mechanisms of which are fed mutuallyparallelly arranged weft threads.

A device is known for constituting an approximately parallel system ofweft threads, such device using helical links which receive loops ofseveral continuous weft threadsat both sides of the machine andconveying said threads in continuous state to the operating point of thetextile machine.

The disadvantage of the said device is the necessity of continuouslyextending the weft thread loops from the gripping of the loop until itsknitting-in into the product. Thereupon, said weft threads are exposedto a long-lasting and steadily increasing load; this makes necessary arelatively slow operation of the machine in order to prevent frequentthread breakages. Moreover, since it is necessary to. use only highquality weft material, use of this device is economically'verydisadvantageous.

Another known device includes a guide which successively lays the weftthread directly at the operating point ofv the knitting machine by atraversing motion from one side of the machine to the other in suchmanner that the guide performs one cycle during two revolutions of theworking mechanism of the machine.

The manufacture of knitwork with weft threads by use of this device isrelatively slow, since upon each revolution of the working mechanism ofthe machine the guide passes substantially over the whole width of themachine. In the same manner, color patterning and stripe patterningwithout weft threads is possible because it complicates the manufacture,particularly by cutting off threads laid along the selvedge of theknitted workpiece.

A further known device uses a reversely moving carriage which lays asystem of weft threads into a continuously moving conveyor. The systemof weft threads thus constituted comprises weft threads which are notall mutually parallel, the said weft threads closing mutually smallacute angles. Upon processing the weft thread system in the said device,a product is obtained in relatively lower quality from both theviewpoint of its strength and appearance.

Still another device is known for laying mutually parallel weft threadsinto a(first) continuously moving conveyor. The said weft laying isperformed by a further (second) chain conveyor which is arrangedobliquely with respect to the first conveyor, the weft threads beingthus unwound from bobbins mounted on said second conveyor, and the weftthread ends being gripped on one side of the first conveyor. The twoconveyors move continuously at constant speeds, being synchronized insuch manner that the weft thread withdrawn from the bobbin on the secondconveyor is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the firstconveyor between the fastening at the first conveyor and the guidingeyelet at the bobbin on the second conveyor, and mutually parallel toall other already laid weft threads. The fastening of weft threads onboth sides of the first conveyor is performed by gripping in gripperswhich are opened for gripping the thread by means of a cam which movesone part of the gripper away from the other. The gripping of the weftthread on one side permits the use of a sucking device, while the threadis brought on the other side of said conveyor by another conveyor; Afterthe weft thread is gripped by said grippers, it is cut off.

The disadvantage of the said device is the little chance of improvingits efliciency, which is measured by the number of threads conveyed tothe working point of e.g. a stitch knitting machine within a given timeunit. Even when several threads are laid simultaneously in the saiddevice, their number isconsiderably limited, particularly by therequired width of the weft thread system to be constituted. The velocityof laying threads onto the first conveyor is limited by the velocity andthe reliability of gripping .the threads by the grippers, as well as theoperation of the sucking device, which enable said gripping operation tobe performed.

One of the newest known devices comprises two chain conveyors, thedirections of movement of which are mutually normal. The first conveyortransports a system of parallelly arranged weft threads to the operatingpoint of the knitting machine, whereas the other, second conveyorprepares the weft threads to be laid into the first conveyor. Themovement of both conveyors is uniform and continuous and in bothconveyors the weft threads are arranged mutually parallelly.

The said device is, also" known in two somewhat different embodiments.in a first one of said embodiments, the first conveyor is provided onone side with carrying grippers and on the other side with carryingfingers. The other, second conveyor is provided with two transferringbattens which are provided with transferring fingers. At the lateralside of the first conveyor, a creel is arranged, with a system ofretaining grippers attached thereto, said gripper system beingstationary relative to said creel. The weft threads are guided from thecreel intosaid retaining grippers, the jaws of which are released uponthe taking over of the loops of weft threads by the carrying fingers atthe opposite side of the first conveyor upon the simultaneous grippingof the threads into the carrying grippers at the side located nearer tothe creel of the first conveyor. The system of weft threads for furtherprocessing, particularly in knitting machines, is constituted by groupswhich are simultaneously laid onto the first conveyor.

In the other, second embodiment this device is not provided withretaining grippers,-said transferring battens of the second conveyorbeing provided with transferring grippers, the opening of their jawsbeing controlled by a cam surface at those moments at which saidgrippers pass above one or the other side of the conveyor. On both sidesof the first conveyor there are mounted carrying grippers.

The manners of operation of the two said embodiments are very similar,the second embodiment permitting more patterning than the firstembodiment. The disadvantages of the two embodiments of the said deviceconsist in the relatively high intricacy of the separate parts of thedevice, thus reducing the reliability of operation and the economicadvantages of the said device.

The present invention has among its objects reducing as much as possiblethe disadvantages of the known devices, and in providing a device forthe preparation of a system of parallel weft threads for further 7processing, particularly in warp knitting machines, consisting ofrelatively simple and easily manufactured, reliably operatingmechanisms.

Further advantages and features of the present invention are describedin the following description and shown in the accompanying drawingsillustrating an exemplary embodiment, of which FIG. 1 is a diagrammaticview in plan of the device according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation of the device accordingto the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a view in end elevation of the device according to the presentinvention, the view being taken in the direction A as shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an overall view in perspective of the main operative part ofthe device according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a view in section taken along line 5-5 as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the transferring gripper in its openedposition;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the transferring gripper in its closedposition;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the transferring gripper in partial section;

FIG. 9 is an end view of the transferring gripper in the direction C asshown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a view in perspective of a carrying gripper including itsfastening on the chain of the longitudinal conveyor; and

FIG. 11 is a diagram of the opening operation of the carrying grippersat the point of releasing of the weft threads carried thereby aftertheir knitting-in.

Turning first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the device according to the presentinvention includes an endless longitudinal conveyor 1', which isconstituted by two laterally spaced, parallel endless double chains 2,3, said chains being guided by means of guiding wheels 4, 5, 6 anddriving wheels 7. the drive for the whole device according to thepresent invention is derived from the drive of the knitting machine,advantageously by coupling said drive with the driving means of theknitting machine for withdrawing the product therefrom; in order toguarantee the feeding of the required number of weft threads to a givenlength of the product. The chains 2, 3 of conveyor 1 introduce the weftthread 8 (FIG. 4) between the closing comb 9 and the knocking-over comb10 of the knitting machine, or stitch knitting machine, respectively,which is provided with a system of knitting needles 11. For thatpurpose, carrying means are arranged on the chains 2, 3, for example, asystem of carrying grippers 12 (FIG. 10).

The carrying gripper 12 consists of a frame 13, in which, beside otherthings, two movable gripping jaws 14 are mounted for fastening the weftthreads; in the conveying phase of the wefts to the operation point ofthe knitting machine two independent weft threads 8 are gripped by eachgripper 12 (FIG. 4) as shown in FIG. 10, each gripper 12 is providedwith two movable jaws 14 and a compression spring 15, which bears,through a washer 16, against a pin 17 which is mounted stationarily in aguiding rod 18 and is guided with one of its ends in a vertical groove19 in frame 13. the said pin 17 prevents any turning of the movable jaw14 while permitting it to move up and down.

For fastening the carrying grippers 12, the two double chains 2 and 3are provided with L-shaped lugs 20, to which the separate carryinggrippers 12 are fixed. In FIG. 5 only one side of the conveyor 1 withchain 2 is shown; the other side, including control, is arranged as amirror image thereof. At the point at which weft threads 8 are depositedin the longitudinal conveyor 1, the two double chains 2 and 3 are guidedin respective guideways 21 (FIGS. 4 and 5), the two halves of each suchguideway being connected by means of a screw 22. Each guideway 21 isfixedly connected to a horizontal carrier beam 23, the two beams 23being parallel and vertically reciprocated in synchronism and in phaseas indicated by the arrow D in FIG. 5. Each beam 23 is provided with atleast one forked bracket with a roller, in the exemplary embodiment withtwo forked brackets 24 and a roller 25 at each bracket. Each roller 25rolls over a cam 26; the two earns 26 shown are connected to rotate insynchronism and in phase, and lift the whole specified mechanismincluding the carrying grippers 12 in the direction D into a position,at which the weft threads 8 are deposited into grippers 12.

For controlling the movable jaws 14 of the carrying grippers 12, thedevice according to the present invention is provided with a cam 27.Cams 26 and 27 are driven by means of transmissions by the drivingmechanism of the knitting machine. In FIG. 2 such cams are showndiagrammatically as being drivingly connected by sprockets and chains.The said cam 27 acts during its turning upon roller 28, from which themotion is transferred over holder 29 to the lifting batten 30 (FIG. 4).Upon movement of the lifting batten in the direction D (FIG. 5), thelower end of the guiding rod 18 of the movable jaw 14 is engaged by thebatten 30 thereby to release said jaw 14, thereby to permit the layingof the weft 8 between the head 31 of jaw 14 and the upper member offrame 13. As shown in FIG. 2, each end of carrier beam 23 is providedwith a guiding part which engages a respective guideway 32 affixed toframe 33 in the exemplary embodiment. The said arrangement permits thesimultaneous control of a plurality of carrying grippers 12,advantageously several dozens of them.

The laying of the weft threads 8 is performed by a transverse conveyor34 (FIGS. 1-4, inclusive), which consists substantially of two parallelsynchronously driven double chains 35 and 36, to corresponding oppositelinks of which there are fixedly connected at least three transferringbattens 37. In the exemplary embodiment exactly three battens 37 areshown, such battens being uniformly distributed over the length of thetransverse conveyor 34. The double chains 35 and 36 are guided overpairs of guiding wheels, each of the two chains passing over threeguiding wheels 38, one of which wheels is driven by a transmission to bedescribed below. All wheels 38 are rotatably mounted in frame 39 with astand 40, frame 39, 40 being fixedly connected to frame 33.

Each batten 37 is provided with a system of transferring grippers 41(FIGS. 6-9, inclusive), the number of which on one side of the battencorresponds to the number of weft threads 8' which are laid into thelongitudinal conveyor 1.

Each transferring gripper 41 consists of a stationary jaw 42' and amovable jaw 44. The stationary jaw 42 simultaneously constitutes theframe of the gripper and the stationary part of a knife. Gripper 41 isalso fixedly fastened to batten 37 by means of said jaw 42. The movablejaw 44 is arranged on a pin screw 43 pivotally in the form of atwo-armed lever. The sinkers 45, '46 are stationary and are mounted onone hand on a pin screw 43, and on the other hand on the pin 47, whichis mounted stationarily in a firm jaw, advantageously by being pressedin. The sinkers 45, 46 are made advantageou'sly of elastic metallicmaterial.

The movable jaw 44 is also mounted on pin 47; however, this mountingenables the said movable jaw 44 to perform a rotary motion about theaxis of the pin screw 43 by providing said movable jaw 44 with anarcuate slot which is not visible in the accompanying drawings.

A control batten 50 is attached to each transfer batten 37. The movablejaw 44 of all transferring grippers 41 is provided with a pin 48 saidpins 48 of grippers 41 mounted on one batten 37 being located in theopenings 49 of one control batten 50 (FIG. 4). By means of adjustablestops 67, 68 (FIG. 4) the position of the control battens 50 ischangedat predetermined points. Upon change of the position of battens50, the movable jaws 41 of the transfer grippers 41 are opened,

or closed, respectively. The stops 67, 68 and the con-' trol battens 50thus constitute cam control means.

The operative part of the movable jaw 44 of each transferring gripper 41is shaped at its end in the form of letter U (FIG. 6), thus forming twocontact surfaces for contacting two sinkers 45, 46 when gripper41 isclosed. In the U-shaped part a recess 51 is made, which is engaged byweft thread 8 being tensioned between the fastening gripper and a threadbrake (not shown) attached to each of the bobbins 52 at the creel. Thesinkers 45, 46 arearranged on the transfer gripper 41 in such mannerthat they are located, in comparison with the blade of the stationaryjaw 42, nearer to the blade 54 of the opened movable jaw 44. I

Upon transferring weft threads 8 by the transfer grippers 41, each weftthread 8 is laid, by synchronizing the motions of the transfer grippers41, the carrying grippers 12 and the opening of the movable jaws 14,between the head 31 and frame 13 of grippers 12. Said weft thread, thusgripped, is carried to the operation point of the knitting machine. Thecontrol of the moveferred by a chain 58 to the driving wheel of a wormgear box 59 which drives a continuous longitudinally extending shaft 60which drives a further worm gearing 61. The output shaft 62 of wormgearing 61 is provided with driving wheels 7 for driving thelongitudinal conveyor 1.

ment of the carrying grippers 12 in the direction D and the opening ofthe movable jaws 14 has already been described. In order to prevent anundesired lifting on the grippers 12 as a whole upon opening the jaws 14by batten 30, the cam 26 is provided with a segment (FIG. 5) fixedlyconnected thereto, said segment preventing by the mutual action with aroller 56 rotatable on a pin affixed to bracket 24 the undesired liftingof the carrying grippers 12. Grippers 12 may be lifted only upon acertain turning of the cam by providing segment 55 with a recess (notshown).

The drive of the device according to the present in- 'vention isderived, in the exemplary embodiment, from the mechanism for withdrawingthe product from the textile machine. Such drive is shown in FIG. 2 asincluding a drive wheel 57, from which motion is trans- From thecontinuous shaft 60, the drive is also transferred by sprockets and achain to a worm box 63 (FIG. 2) controlling cam 27 for opening the jaws14 of grippers 12. The two further earns 26 for controlling the strokesof the carrying grippers 12, are driven from the worm box 63. The outputshaft 64 of worm box 63 drives the same mechanisms, that is, earns 26and 27 at the opposite side of the device according to the presentinvention.

From worm box 61, the drive is also transferred to the control box65,'which is arranged on the driving shaft 66 of the transverse conveyor34. The control box 65 drives by means of a known system of geartransmissions (not shown) the transverse conveyor 34 at a continuouslymomentarily changing velocity while maintaining a constant averagespeed. The said momentary velocity is at its minimum when the conveyor34 is laying weft threads 8 into the carrying grippers 12.

The device according to the present invention operates as follows:

Before beginning the operation of the device according to the presentinvention, it is necessary to introduce the separate weft threads 8manually from the separate bobbins 52, forming the supply of the weftthread 8, into the separate transferring grippers 41. Only afterwards isit possible to bring the whole device including the knitting machineattached thereto into operation.

The system of several dozens of weft threads 8 is transferred by thesystem of transfer grippers 41 over the whole width of the longitudinalconveyor 1. The transfer of weft threads is performed vertically, as thetwo conveyors, i.e. the longitudinal conveyor 1 and the transverseconveyor 34 move vertically with respect to one another.

After introducing the front ends of the weft threads 8 to the other sideof the conveyor 1, at which the double chain 3 is located, the movablejaws 14 of the carrying grippers 12 are opened at first, whereupon thewhole system for carrying grippers 12 is lifted. As we have seen, thenumber of grippers 12 corresponds to onehalf of the transferred weftthreads 8, since each gripper 12 can transfer two weft threads.

By the continuous motion of conveyor 1, the weft threads are slipped,after lifting grippers 12 at chain 2 and releasing their jaws 14,between the head 31 of the movable jaws 14 and the frame 13 of thecarrying gripper. By the following reverse motion of jaw 14, performedby the compression spring 15, the weft threads a are gripped. As thesame procedure takes place at the same time at the opposite side ofconveyor 1, at the location of double chain 3, the whole system ofsimultaneously transferred weft threads is deposited, after finishingthe said operation, on the longitudinal conveyor 1.

Immediately after gripping the weft threads in the carrying grippers 12,the grip of the weft threads 8 in the transfer grippers 41 is released.The synchronization of opening the transfer grippers 41 is secured byproviding stops 67, 68, which respectively perform the functions ofopening and re-closing of the movable jaws 44 of transfer grippers 41.

The said opening and re-closing of the movable jaws 44 is performed, onone hand, at the end of the inserting motion of the transverse conveyor34, in which the weft threads are released for clamping in the transfergrippers 41, and on the other hand, approximately simultaneously at thebeginning of the inserting motion, at which each weft 8 is gripped,between a brake (not shown) for the weft threads 8 and the carryinggripper 12 mounted on chain 2, into a transfer gripper 41, said weftthread 8 being out between the blade 53 of the stationary jaw 42 and theblade 54 of the movable jaw 44 by a single motion of the movable jaws 44upon finishing the gripping of weft thread 8.

After cutting and finishing the gripping by jaws 42 and 44 of thetransfer grippers 41, each weft thread 8 is gripped at two points, eachtime between one of the sinkers 45, 46 and the operative part of themovable jaw 44 of gripper 41. By the described cutting by means ofcarrying gripper 41, the weft thread 8 is separated from the weft supply7, said weft thread being laid on the longitudinal conveyor 1.

The specified operations at the beginning and the end of the transfermotion of the transverse conveyor 34 are always performed by thetransfer grippers 41, mounted on two following transfer battens 37,while the third transfer batten is conveyed back to the beginning of thetransfer operation (FIG. 1). The weft threads 8 withdrawn from bobbins52 are tensioned between a brake (not shown) and transfer grippers 41,grippers 41 carrying weft threads 8 into the carrying grippers 12. Thegripping into the transfer gripper 41 of a further transfer batten 34follows immediately thereafter. The longitudinal conveyor 1 feeds theweft threads 8 arranged parallelly thereon to the operation point of theknitting machine at which said weft threads are knitted into each courseof the knitwork by one weft thread 8 into each course in a known manner.The releasing of the weft thread 8 from the carrying gripper 12 at theoperation point of the machine can be performed e.g. by means of a camsegment 69 (FiG. 11), the movable jaws 14 being opened by the action ofcam 69 upon the guiding rod 18 of the respective grippers 12.

Although the invention is illustrated and described with reference toone preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be respectfully understoodthat it is in no way limited to the disclosure of such a preferredembodiment, but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for forming a system of weft threads for furtherprocessing in textile machines to the operation mechanisms of whichthere are fed mutually parallel weft threads, said device including twocontinuously and uniformly moving weft thread conveyors which aremovable vertically with respect to each other, a first one of saidconveyors carrying the weft threads in a longitudinal direction to theoperation point of the textile machine and the other, second conveyorscarrying the weft threads transversely from the supply onto the firstsaid conveyor, the improvement which comprises carrying grippers on thefirst conv or, said i ers havin movable selectivel o erab g gripping jzss, at least three longitudinally? spewed transfer battens on the secondconveyor, and transfer grippers on the transfer battens.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the transfergrippers is provided with at least three stationary means which comeinto direct contact with the weft thread, and at least one rotatablymounted means.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stationary means of thetransfer gripper are constituted by a stationary jaw provided with acutting edge and two stationary sinkers, the said cutting edge as wellas the two said sinkers being in contact upon closing of the transfergripper with the operative part of the movable jaw of the transfergripper.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second conveyor isconnected to the driving mechanism of the associated textile machine bymeans of a transmission, one component of the transmission being formedby a control box which continuously changes the momentary velocity ofthe second conveyor. I I

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transfer grippers haverelatively movable jaws, one of said jaws being stationary and the otherjaw being movable, the movable jaw of the transfer gripper being made inthe form of a two-arm lever, one arm carrying a gripping jaw, theopposite arm the lever having cam control means attached thereto, eachsystem of transfer grippers on one transfer batten having one controlbatten which selectively interacts with the said cam control means.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, comprising spaced cams disposedalong the second conveyor for operating the control battens to close andopen the transfer grippers, respectively.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the transfer grippers have amovable jaw, the operative part of the movable jaw of the transfergripper is made in the shape of the letter U,the part thus shaped beingprovided with a recess one edge of which forms a weft thread cuttingblade.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising guiding parts for themovable jaws of the carrying grippers provided with a transverse pin,said transverse pin engaging a longitudinally extending slot in theframe of the carrying gripper, whereby to prevent the movable jaw fromturning.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transfer grippers carrysinkers made of elastic material.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein in the opened state of thetransfer gripper the sinkers are nearer to the operative part of themovable jaw than the cutting edge of the stationary jaw.

1. In an apparatus for forming a system of weft threads for further processing in textile machines to the operation mechanisms of which there are fed mutually parallel weft threads, said device including two continuously and uniformly moving weft thread conveyors which are movable vertically with respect to each other, a first one of said conveyors carrying the weft threads in a longitudinal direction to the operation point of the textile machine and the other, second conveyors carrying the weft threads transversely from the supply onto the first said conveyor, the improvement which comprises carrying grippers on the first conveyor, said grippers having movable selectively operable gripping jaws, at least three longitudinally spaced transfer battens on the second conveyor, and transfer grippers on the transfer battens.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the transfer grippers is provided with at least three stationary means which come into direct contact with the weft thread, and at least one rotatably mounted means.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stationary means of the transfer gripper are constituted by a stationary jaw provided with a cutting edge and two stationary sinkers, the said cutting edge as well as the two said sinkers being in contact upon closing of the transfer gripper with the operative part of the movable jaw of the transfer gripper.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second conveyor is connected to the driving mechanism of the associated textile machine by means of a transmission, one component of the transmission being formed by a control box which continuously changes the momentary velocity of the second conveyor.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transfer grippers have relatively movable jaws, one of said jaws being stationary and the other jaw being movable, the movable jaw of the transfer gripper being made in the form of a two-arm lever, one arm carrying a gripping jaw, the opposite arm the lever having cam control means attached thereto, each system of transfer grippers on one transfer batten having one control batten which selectively interacts with the said cam control means.
 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, comprising spaced cams disposed along the second conveyor for operating the control battens to close and open the transfer grippers, respectively.
 7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the transfer grippers have a movable jaw, the operative part of the movable jaw of the transfer gripper is made in the shape of the letter U, the part thus shaped being provided with a recess one edge of which forms a weft thread cutting blade.
 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising guiding parts for the movable jaws of the carrying grippers provided with a transverse pin, said transverse pin engaging a longitudinally extending slot in the frame of the carrying gripper, whereby to prevent the movable jaw from turning.
 9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transfer grippers carry sinkers made of elastic material.
 10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein in the opened state of the transfer gripper the sinkers are nearer to the operative part of the movable jaw than the cutting edge of the stationary jaw. 